# C&D's Star of the East Flake



## beaupipe (Feb 16, 2009)

Also on TR.com

C&D’s Star of the East Flake strikes me as curiously neglected and under-rated here, especially given its similarities to one of the best loved tobaccos on this site—the venerable and venerated Penzance. They’re both Latakia-heavy crumble cakes with marked Virginia sweetness. They’re both easy to pack, light, and burn. And they’re both delicious.
There are differences, of course. In the tin, Star of the East Flake is both sharper and dirtier than Penzance. Familiar notes of leather and Montreal smoked meat are mixed with an almost sour, bright note and a kind of sweaty, fecal, Bikram yoga-bum smell, which I personally find enormously appealing. Devotees of things like Munster, Epoisses, mature wine, properly aged duck confit, Andouillettes, smell-my-finger-games, and unsanitary bedroom practices should find this immensely satisfying, perhaps even erotic. 

Some tobaccos are appealing for their rustic qualities, for their lack of refinement. And this is one of ‘em. I would hesitate to say that this is a better tobacco than something like Penzance, but I do think it’s far more interesting. Highly recommended to all who like an unsavory quality in the things they savor.


----------



## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

You review at tobaccoreviews.com, do you not? I tend to remember reviewing style better than monikers, and I'm sure I recognize your style. 

Nice review. Loved it, especially the last line. It was not only clever, but it hit me on a personal level - and not just with tobaccos!


----------



## beaupipe (Feb 16, 2009)

dmkerr said:


> You review at tobaccoreviews.com, do you not? I tend to remember reviewing style better than monikers, and I'm sure I recognize your style.
> 
> Nice review. Loved it, especially the last line. It was not only clever, but it hit me on a personal level - and not just with tobaccos!


Thanks. Like most, I do a little stuff on the forumless TR.com. It's fun, I suppose, especially because that site is such a thick soup of conflicting opinion.


----------



## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

I think my favorite was the one on McClellands Latakia Flake. I'm working on a tin of that now.


----------



## beaupipe (Feb 16, 2009)

dmkerr said:


> I think my favorite was the one on McClellands Latakia Flake. I'm working on a tin of that now.


It really is a lovely tobacco isn't it? It's too bad it doesn't get more attention. Oh well. The little flakes can be difficult to work with. And every week, it seems, McClelland introduces more blends that take attention away from it or compete with it directly.


----------



## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

beaupipe said:


> It really is a lovely tobacco isn't it? It's too bad it doesn't get more attention. Oh well. The little flakes can be difficult to work with. And every week, it seems, McClelland introduces more blends that take attention away from it or compete with it directly.


Well, for years they had only the 5 brown label virginias and the 5 green label orientals. Then the Personal Reserve Series came out, and then Christmas Cheer. Then I go away for a decade and a half and they put out a full orchestra!

Yes, the Latakia Flake is quite nice. Latakia blends tend to have some trouble breaking into anything resembling a steady rotation for me. The LF likely will not but their Frogmorton On The Town certainly did! Even so, I'm enjoying the LF while it's here.


----------



## lestrout (Dec 10, 2007)

Does anyone have insight on whether SOTE and SOTE Flake have the same ingredients? I love both, and they are in my cellar in multiple pound quantities. But the Flake has the edge for me. Pressed blends do taste different as a result of the process, but I detect a flavor difference that makes me think the Orientals are different.

hp
les


----------



## doctorthoss (Jun 28, 2010)

lestrout said:


> Does anyone have insight on whether SOTE and SOTE Flake have the same ingredients? I love both, and they are in my cellar in multiple pound quantities. But the Flake has the edge for me. Pressed blends do taste different as a result of the process, but I detect a flavor difference that makes me think the Orientals are different.
> 
> hp
> les


I believe you hit the nail on the head. The original SOTE used (I believe) a mix of orientals drawn from the same stock C&D has used for many years, while SOTE Flake uses Izmir, which has come into play relatively recently. C&D uses it in several of their new(er) flakes, and GL Pease uses it in Embarcadero. I prefer the original SOTE, actually, but the flake version is plenty good, as well!


----------



## mirain (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks for your review. Always looking for a new experience. For some unknown reason I've not ventured into the world of C&D. This may open the door.


----------

